Urraca of Zamora

Urraca of Zamora 11th Century Infanta of Castile at the time of the Spanish reconquista. She was a factual person whose story was partially romanticised in the cantar de gesta, the poetic ballad of the Cid.

Uracca was one of the five children of King Ferdinand I ("the Great") of Castile, Spain. Before his death in 1065, Ferdinand divided his widespread conquests in central Spain between his five children, charging them to live at peace with one another. Ferdinand's oldest son Sancho II of Castile (the Strong); received Castile and the tribute from Zaragoza; Alfonso VI (the Brave); received León and the tribute from Toledo; and García received Galicia. His daughters, Elvira and Urraca, received Tora and Zamora respectively.

Sancho however resolved to rule over his father's entire kingdom and made war on his siblings. By 1072, Sancho had overthrown his youngest brother Garcia, and forced his other brother Alfonso to flee to his Moorish vassal city of Toledo. Toro, the city of Sancho's sister Elvira, fell easily. But in a siege of Urraca's city of Zamora, King Sancho was stalled, and mysteriously assassinated on October 7, 1072. It was widely suspected that the assassination was a result of a pact between Alfonso and Urraca. There were even rumours of an incestuous relationship between the pair.

Following Sancho's death, Alfonso became ruler of all his lands in Castile as well as Leon. Following the death of his son Sancho, fighting Muslim forces, Alfonso VI was eventually succeeded by his daughter, Queen Urraca of Castile

In the poetic legend Dona Uracca is the wronged infanta, watching Sancho and the Cid despoil her lands from the battlements of her castle shortly before Sancho is murdered. Her brother Alfonso is her loyal and chivalrous defender. Following the death of Sancho, the Castillian nobility, led by the Cid and a dozen "oath-helpers," force Alfonso to swear to his innocence publicly in front of St. Galeas 's Church in Burgos.